


Shadows

by ScorpioSnoopy666



Category: Steam Powered Giraffe
Genre: Alone, Brother and Sister - Freeform, Darkness, Gen, Mak is scared, Shadow Puppets, Shadows - Freeform, Sibling Bonding, big brother Dex, coming home, late night, scary at first but then sweet at the end, searching for her sib
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-05-17 00:59:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14822210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScorpioSnoopy666/pseuds/ScorpioSnoopy666
Summary: After experiencing nightmares during the night, Mak goes to search for someone in the Walter Manor to confide in. What with Mother Rabbit and her other adoptive robot relatives powered down in nightly stasis, she goes to find big brother Dex. As she does, shadows on the winter's night make her unnerved.It's up to Big Brother Dex to comfort dear Mak and show her shadows can be fun.





	Shadows

The howling wind against the glass window pane was enough to make the young female known as Mak stir from her uneasy slumber. Tree branches batted at the glass and brickwork of the Walter Manor like withered old hands, creating abrupt thumps and chilling scraping sounds. Rain beat down mercilessly on the lawn and brick outside.  
It wasn't one bit helpful that Mak had been submerged in the dark world of nightmares. Distorted faces, raspy voices, even sinister laughter rang through her ears throughout the hours of unconsciousness, making the night seem like almost an eternity, even though it had only been a few hours on that cold winter's night.

Mak shivered, the fluffy blanket around her body, concealing her legs which bore a startling resemblance to the limbs of a velociraptor, claws and all. Her head, which was absent of hair, was covered by the soft dark coloured fabric. The poor girl was still shaking, tears rolling from her eyes and down her fair skin, hands clenching tighter and tighter to the point her nails would surely rip through the blanket, all the while her shivering increased.  
With darting looks, she could see shadows obscuring parts of the room from her vision, her dark eyes only just adjusting to the very limited light coming from outside sources and passing cars. It was as if the shadows were tauntingly enveloping her and her room from the rest of the world, as if to conceal some horrible secret.  
Flashes of the nightmares came racing through her head, and she bit her lip, getting up from her bed. Letting the blanket drop to the floor -leaving her in just a frilled cream nightdress with simple blue trim and a skirt long enough to conceal her raptor-like legs and long spiked tail from sight in addition to making it comfortable to wear- she crept out of her room and creaked open the door, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand.

Of course, the time being the middle of the night, nobody was up and about. Any activity in the Hall Of Faces and Hall Of Wires had completely ceased, the workers in the manor having already retired to their warm beds for the night.  
The only sounds were the tiny clacks of Mak's claws upon the floor, though some of the clicks were muffled by rugs and carpet.  
She thought of sprinting to the Hall Of Faces and waking Rabbit from her slumber, in desperate need of comfort. But would Rabbit be mad? would she be tired? after all, it HAD been a long day for the family, what with the recent concert, constant rehearsals and discussions of the next show in town.  
Just in time for Yulemas, they said.  
It would be a seasonal treat for all.  
Heck, even her big brother and cousin had talked excitedly about the celebrations that would occur.  
Despite herself, Mak allowed a smile to creep onto her cold lips, before her expression became fearful once more when she heard the wind howl and roar like an injured wolf. She cupped her hands over her ears and walked faster through the darkened manor.

Shadows contorted before her eyes, even her own silhouette seemed more like a sinister and deformed copy of herself made from ethereal darkness; her shadow 'twin's' tail was curled and sharpened to the point, her claws out in a predatory manner. Whenever her body moved, so did her shadowy double's body.  
Tearing her gaze away, Mak slunk through the halls out towards the landing, a shaky hand reaching out to touch the mahogany handrail, her claws leaving a few accidental scratches on the wood in their wake. She squeaked and flinched at the creaks of the stairs, even more so when she heard the doorknob rattling and turning. Her palms grew clammy and her throat tightened in fear, rendering her temporarily mute.

Someone was trying to come in.

As quickly and as silently as she could, Mak descended the long flight of stairs and stood beside the banister in the pitch-black foyer, hiding in hope to spot and pounce on the potential intruder.  
Through the silent shadows, Mak could only just make out the figure of a male slipping inside the manor, water dripping from his coat. His face was concealed by a hood and what looked like a soaking wet scarf that trailed on the floor at the figure's feet. A soft blue glow came from beneath the hood, making Mak stop in her maze of thoughts.  
What was that glow?  
Was it a phone? a headtorch? No, it looked as it if was two...maybe a single long torch across the forehead?  
Even for such a place as the Walter Manor, something was definitely off.

Mak heard the figure murmuring and cursing at themselves, an odd muffled buzzing was growing more audible the closer the figure drew towards the stairs.  
As soon as his hand reached out towards the barrier, Mak hissed and pounced on the male, pinning him down.  
She growled in a threatening way, raising her hand to deliver a fatal blow to his face.

"Whoa, whoa! Mak! calm down, Tiny, it's me!" a voice with a hauntingly familiar Boston accent spoke out in shock. Mak's hand hovered in place, her nails just inches away from the teenage boy's eyes. His visor flickered and dimmed, showing ice blue optics, and with them a comforting gaze.  
"Huh?" Mak murmured, carefully getting off him and standing adjacent to the male, allowing him to get up and remove his hood.  
The familiar white fringe and smooth plastic skin gave away the looks of Dex Walter, her adoptive big brother.  
Mak sighed in relief, looking apologetic.  
"D-Dex, it's you" she sighed, her tail idly swinging beneath her skirt. Dex reached out and gave her shoulder a small squeeze once he had taken off his red leather gloves.  
"Yeah. 'M sorry, squirt. Didn't mean ta spook you like that" he said with a soft chuckle. Taking off his scarf, he hung it on the clothes hanger along with his sodden hoodie.  
"It's ok, big brother" Mak replied calmly, the thudding of her heart dulling to a comfortable pace. "I-I was so scared, and tried to find you. I had a nightmare" he admitted.  
"Aw, love" Dex cooed in sympathy, feeling her latch onto his torso. He traced shapes on her back gently, making her purr.  
"The bus broke down halfway home after the small gig with the lads. Had ta walk the rest of the way here. Say, why don't we go upstairs, huh? then you'll be more comfy" he suggested, making the girl peek up at him.  
She nodded, and away they both went.

Dex closed the door once the pair were both in, drying off his synthetic white hair with his red hand towel, Mak sitting on his bed with her tail thumping on the warm duvet. She watched Dex slip on a dry shirt in the golden glow of his bedside light.  
He turned and gave her a grin, getting under the duvet once he was ready. Mak did the same, snuggling up to her adopted android brother, the plastic and electric teenager looking at the wall. He then smirked, an idea striking him harder than a tonne of bricks.  
"Hey, sis. Watch this!" he said jovially, grabbing Mak's attention. The girl in question looked up, tilting her head lightly in confusion.  
Dex moved his hands, the shape of his hands and fingers moving to make the shape of a butterfly fluttering around, making Mak giggle.  
"You're good at this!" she chirped, nuzzling Dex with a birdlike trill. Dex only chuckled modestly.  
"Look!" he whispered, using his hand to make the shape of a dog, making barking noises. This made Mak giggle even more, and even made Dex start laughing.  
Both the siblings were enraptured in the shadowy fantasy, the two performing small shows for each other, enjoying themselves very much. Goofy voices and funny stories brought smiles to their faces, the fearful nightmares soon a distant memory, only the dwindling rain was the visible reminder of the moments before, though it was drowned out by Dex's and Mak's stories conducted with their own shadow creations.

The wonderous puppet shows lasted for yet another hour, until Mak yawned, Dex doing the same. He snuggled up to his sister and turned off the light, the two falling peacefully asleep at last.

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to give a special thank you to my friend, madangel19, who let me write this cute story with her OC Mak with one of my fanbots, Dex. Mak is just morbidly adorable and I love her and her creator to bits.  
> Hope you guys enjoyed, and I hope to update the stories on here as well as adding new stories (working on a fairytale-esque story right now).
> 
> Scorpio out~


End file.
